Who are the most satisfied workers?

Who do you think is more satisfied, the guy who made it to the corner office and calls the shots or the guy who started his own business and struggles to pay the bills? When it comes to work life balance the most satisfied workers are self employed. I can completely understand why that would be true, can you? It feels good to have control over your own work schedule.

Self-employed adults are significantly more satisfied with their jobs than other workers according to a survey by the PewResearchCenter’s Social & Demographics Trends project. Nearly four-in-ten self-employed workers (39%) say they are "completely satisfied" with their jobs, compared with 28% of all wage or salaried employees.

Why do they work? Money is one reason - but it's far less of a factor for the self-employed than for other workers. Nearly a third of the self-employed (32%) say the main reason they work is because they want to, compared with 19% of wage and salary workers. By the same token, the self-employed are less likely than other workers to say they hold a job because they need the money (50% vs. 38%). They also place a higher value on the intangible psychological benefits of working, such as feeling useful and productive, and are more likely to say they are working to help "improve society" (55% vs. 46%).

While it may be more satisfying, don't expect to get super rich from striking out on your own. According to Pew, while being your own boss may have many rewards, a hefty income isn't necessarily one of them. Even though they earn about as much as other workers, the self-employed struggle more financially: fully four-in-ten in the Pew Research survey say they just make ends meet or fall short, compared with less than a third of all wage and salary employees.

Basically, this survey shows the self employed are more satisfied and less wealthy. Interesting isn't it? If you are self employed, is your job satisfaction high? How is it affected by your financial success?